Be Careful What You Wish For Gwenneth
by Jenn the Cat
Summary: Gwenneth "Gwen" Salesta hated her life from her name down to her annoying neighbor Cody. One day, she discovers a strange mirror leading to a new world. One that fits her personality. But is it too good to be true? Based on the movie and book, Coraline.
1. Into the Mirror

**Well, here's my latest fic. I've been really looking forward to post this up for a while! Please enjoy!**

**NOTE: If you see any numbers in parenthesis written after a word, look for a foot note after the chapter.**

**Based on the movie and novel, _Coraline_ (1) ...**

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They say that you should be grateful for what you have in life. They say you should be happy that you have a home, a family, clothing, and even neighbors...

Well that's better said than done.

Me? My life stinks. No, wait, that's an under statement. My life sucks!

Why? Let me give you a few reasons...

**1.)** **MY HOME- **Well, my home before I moved was fine. It's the one that I have now that stinks. It royally sucks. After my parents divorced and my grandparents on my mom's side of the family died, we moved into their crappy old house. This place is so old, the wallpaper is literally peeling off of the wall. I'd rather live with Dad!

**2.)** **MY FAMILY- **My mom never understands me. Last time I checked, she thinks I wear pink, frilly, puffy clothes. Has she seen what I wear? Does she ever notice that I shop at Hot Topic?! Does she even notice my hair?! I dyed it teal for crying out loud! My brother thinks of every possible way to annoy me. And my dad? Although he doesn't live with me anymore, when he did, all he ever talked about was work, work, work (it's a wonder why Mom didn't decide to divorce earlier).

**3.)** **MY BOYFRIEND- **Or should I say my ex-boyfriend. Apparently, when Trent found out I was moving, he thought I would move far enough that I would attend another school. When I saw him the next morning, I caught him kissing the school's resident b*tch, Heather. He's trying to apologize to me right now, but if I see him again, I think I would breath fire.

**4.)** **MY NEIGHBOR- **The line "love your neighbors", like being grateful for all you have, is better said then done. My new neighbor is this kid named Cody. He's a year younger than me, but that kid has been trying to hit on me since I moved here. I'm trying to just ignore him right now, but he never gives up! Last time, he accidentally admitted to me that he's a hentai **(2) **otaku **(3)**...Well, there goes his chances for anything with me.

5.) **MY NAME- **My name is Gwenneth "Gwen" Ariel Salesta. I have nothing against my last name. It actually sounds kind of cool. Nothing against my nickname or my middle name either... It's my first name that really creases me. Who in the hell is named Gwenneth? Couldn't I be name Gwendolyn instead?! At least that has a nice ring to it.

Most times, I wish that my life could have went my way. I wish that I could just rewrite everything the way I want it to. Trent would still be with me and not be the two timer he is now, Cody would be more of an okay kid, I would live in a house that actually doesn't reek of pig guts, and that my name would be Gwendolyn instead of Gwenneth.

If only I could just rewrite everything...

... But as they say...

_Be careful what you wish for..._

* * *

I slammed the door as I slowly walked into the moldy house that I, unfortunately, called "home". My mom was in the kitchen cooking food and my brother...

... Is that my diary he's copying down into a laptop?!

"Damien!!" I shouted off as I ran into his room in total fury. I gotta say, luck really hates me. Damien got the cleanest room in the house and I got stuck with a room that had about fifteen spiderwebs at each corner. "What the hell are you doing with my diary?!"

As soon as he heard my yelling, he quickly slammed the Apple shut and mumbled down a, "Shit, I knew I should've closed the door!"

Tough luck kid. None of these doors can keep shut after using them four times anyways.

"I said-"

"Yeah, I know what you said," the brat responded as he got off of his seat a bit. "Look, I was just looking for inspiration for my new blog and since you kept a diary, I, well... Ah, screw this!" After failing to make a convincing excuse, he made a mad dash towards the door while I just stood there, overwhelmed by the speed.

... Dang, I forgot he was in track!

"Come back here!" I shouted as I ran after him. As we zipped through the living room, I noticed my mom in kitchen, still cooking as if her daughter wasn't going to murder her son.

Gosh, I thought stereotypes don't apply in real life!

I was starting to catch up to the kid as I slammed the door to the outside world open. Tsk, tsk, closing it wasn't going to stop me.

... But putting a hose on the lawn was.

I could hear the laughing of the little snot head as my head was face planted on to the muddy ground, still wet from the sprinklers earlier today, the grass getting into my mouth.

This day could not get any worst.

"Hey, you okay?"

Oh boy...

Picking up my head, my eyes met with a smiling Cody, waving at me as if I hadn't just fell down to the muddy lawn.

"What are you doing here?" I grumbled as I got back to my feet, stumbling a bit. "Who said you could be on my property?"

"Damien. He said I can come by anytime."

Great.

"What are you here for?" I asked as I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I was wondering if you were free this-"

"No."

"... But I didn't even-"

"Leave."

"... Fine," he sighed as he walked back to his lawn.

... Okay, I could've handled that much better, but my day was rotten as it was... Okay, so my days are always rotten... Hey, don't give that "Shame on you" look! Would you want your kid brother letting someone you can't stand to come whenever?

Entering back to the house and up the stairs to my suckish room, I thought, _Great, Damien posted my diary on the Internet for the whole world to see, he's doing who-knows-what with it right now, I probably won't see it again, and he let Cody on whenever he feels like it. Gee, what a great day!_

_... Oh, hold on, my cell's ringing..._

_... Great, it's Trent. What does he want with me now? Better put it on answer machine..._

"Yo, this is Gwen," my jet black spray painted Motorola Razr said. It was the much more cheerful and clueless tone I used to have before I turned, as my friends describe it, emo-ish. "You, or someone else, probably pissed me off or the teach confiscated this or something, so leave a message!"

BEEP!

"Uh, hey Gwen. This is Trent. Look, I know you're still mad at me. I know that you're beyond mad at me, but I wasn't thinking straight when I kissed Heather. I don't know, I was just feeling blue that you left, or I thought that you left, so I thought about hanging out with someone that's just as pretty as you if not more... Wait, that didn't come out right!"

_My god,_ I thought as I rolled my eyes in disgust. _He can't even think of a good excuse._

"Um, wait... What I meant to say was-"

"Good-bye Trent," I groaned as I shut off my cell, thus cutting his message short.

... Y'know sometimes, I wish that we were still together. We were with each other for more than a two years. Longest boyfriend I've ever had. Longest boyfriend that I know anyone has ever had in fact... And I just can't escape his smile that just makes anyone smile...

... Then again, anyone that would rather choose that witch of a girl, Heather, over me deserves to burn in hell.

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"Gwenneth, dinner time!"

"Be done in a sec mom!" I called down from my second floor room.

Ugh, I hate it when she calls me by my full first name. Why can't she actually understand me and not be the stereotypically clueless parent she is now?

As I walked down towards the stairs, I passed by the room that gave me a weird vibe all the way from day one. I stopped and just stared at the crystal blue door. When we first moved in, I was completely struck in awe by the dainty color and practically begged my mom to have my room in here... But of course, she didn't listen, now did she?

...

Well, it wouldn't hurt to check out what's in there...

The door creaked in a soft tone as I attempted to open the door to the unknown room in a slow way as to not alert Mom...

There, I was greeted by a quaint, no window room. The flooring seemed as if no one had stepped on to it for years, yet at the same time, didn't contain any dust. The walls were plastered by a heavenly delightful night sky wallpaper, making it seem like you were star gazing 24/7. And the mirror at the back center?

Absolutely stupendous.

Unfortunately, before I could do anything else in the house's most heaven like room, I shuddered at the voice of the Momster. "And just do you think you're doing here?"

I turned around, attempting not to look spooked, but not sassy at the same time. "Um, nothing," I replied with a weak voice.

"How many times have I told you not to set foot into this room?"

Well actually, she hasn't said a hoot about it yet, but right now is not a good time to complain. "Several," I sighed.

"I want you to march down and eat dinner this instant. We'll talk about this later."

"Yes ma'am," I sighed as I headed straight downstairs, slowly.

Well, you can definitely say that that was strange. Even as how oblivious as she was to my life, she has never been that strange around me. Ever. And why for a room?

... Well, I'll think about that later. Right now is the time to force the answers out of Damien to where he hid my diary.

* * *

When Mom said talk, she meant grounding.

Eight weeks. How quaint.

The night after being yelled at for reasons unknown, I had an incredibly hard time sleeping. It was as if I caught a sudden case of insomnia.

... And I need to get back to that room. NOW!!

I don't know why, but after entering that room, I just had several urges during dinner to rush back into there.

... Aw what the heck, a small peek won't hurt.

Throwing off my covers, all rumpled up from twisting and turning so much, and leaving the comforts of my bed, I slowly crept into the halls, making sure that none of the floorboards would give off any noise that would wake up the Momster.

I opened the door to the absolutely perfect room, again, making sure that I did it so silent that it wouldn't cause any noise. In case it was much later than I thought, I followed the entering by closing the door shut.

There, in the room with absolutely no disturbance whatsoever, I walked up to the mirror. Really, I don't know why I was walking up to it. It was as if my... body was being controlled...

Right in front of it now, I gently touched the glass of the antique mirror that gave me so much curiosity... And the freakiest thing happened.

My fingers phased right through!

"The heck?!" I shouted which followed by my hands clasping up my mouth tightly.

...

It wouldn't hurt to try that again... What the? It's... pushing me in!

As my whole body phased through, my eyes gazed upon the new room I was now inhabiting. Much more clean, new, and dark than the one I lived in.

"Whoa..."

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**(1) Coraline- The 2009 claymation film based on the novel of the same name.**

**(2) Hentai- Anime porn (Cody's sort of portrayed as perverted in the show, so please don't press too hard on this subject).**

**(3) Otaku- A hardcore fan of things like anime, manga, and video games.**

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**Please tell me what you think and, if it could help, what you think should be in the other world.**


	2. Exploring the Mirror

**If you want someone to blame for my lack of updates in any of my fics... Blame it on education! (I should be working on my two essays right now, but I'm not. Yay me!! :D)**

**Oh, advice please! Do you think that it's more important to say that this is an AU or that this is a Gody fic? I only have room in the description for two letters at the end (currently shown as AU), but I'm not sure which one to write :/ Any advice?**

**... Yeah, so here's the next chapter of Be Careful What You Wish For Gwenneth.**

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"Whoa," I gaped as I stared at the dark green room, piled with a perfectly neat set of common room furniture. It was just so freaky, it was the same exact room as the one I just came from, but with furniture and a different wall color. "God, where am I?" I asked to complete nothingness as I opened up the door.

Instead of being greeted by the wallpaper torn graveyard that is my current home, my eyes were bestowed with a midnight blue background, bearing the same constructional appearances of which I had resided in for the past few weeks.

... Damn, did I have a total Sleeping Beauty or time traveling moment or what?... Oh look, black tulips. Nice.

Reluctantly walking down the hallway in a leery matter, my face was filled with both awe and suspicions... What if what's going on right now is _Coraline_ in real life!? That would royally suck... What am I saying?

Distracting my thoughts, an unfamiliar scent burst into my mind, but I let it flow through. It was the smell of blueberry pancakes, a breakfast platter that I've always wanted to try...

My god, this is not my house! I have to get the heck out of!... Um, maybe I should just go downstairs and see if the people down there are kind enough to let me have a midnight snack before chasing me out of the house... Wait, what's with this sunlight? I didn't even go to sleep yet. Isn't it just 12:30 in the morning?

As I slowly trudged downstairs in an awkward stance of what might happen next, I stared down towards the kitchen which lay right next to the living room like it always had...

But everything seems so... Dark and Gothic now... As if I somehow signed up the house for an Extreme Home Make-Over: Hot Topic **(4)** Edition.

Glancing down at the kitchen, I was strucken down with, definitely, a familiar image. It was my mom and dad happily talking to each other as if they weren't even divorced. And Damien?... Holy crap, I didn't even know he had those clothes in his closet? A t-shirt saying "I am stupid?"... Hee, fit the brat perfectly. No complaints here...

Wait, how am I even sure that that really is Damien and not some random kid that looks like him?...

... My god, my brain is throbbing right now!

"Um... Hi?" I quietly mumbled to the family, that I'm not sure if they're mine or not, with an awkward expression.

As the mother turned her head towards me, I half expected her to scream and chase me out of the house with a butcher knife or something... But in my shock, she smiled sweetly at me and replied with a sweet as honey response, "Why, good morning Gwendolyn. I made your favorite!"

Gwendolyn? Since when did I get a long overdue name change?

"Uh, why did you call me that?" I asked, still awkward and probably sweating up a cow at the moment.

"What?" The lady answered with a, now, confused look on her face. "You don't like it when I call you Gwendolyn? It is your birth name after all. Gwendolyn Corina Salesta to be exact."

Since when? "Uh, no mom," I answered with a tremendous amount of uncomfortablness as I adressed this somewhat stranger as my clueless, stereotypical mother. "It's just," I stammered. "... Never mind..." With that, I grabbed a plate of pancakes and sat next to Damien. Wonder what he's like in this freak universe.

"Good morning Gwen," he greeted with a toothy grin. "I finished doing the research for your optional extra credit project. All you have to do is copy down what I wrote before Tuesday."

What?

"What's the catch?"

"Huh? No catch. I help you out with your homework whenever you want. Remember? Oh, do you mind if do the laundry today?"

If this is a dream, please don't wake me up... Gosh, these pancakes are delicious! It's as if my mom somehow got fifty years worth of cooking lessons all in one night! But... this still seems kind of strange... Maybe I should go outside for a bit. An excuse... I wonder if school still exists in this world?

"Uh, I'm gonna go to school," I stammered a bit.

"Alright pumpkin," Dad grinned at me as I began to leave the house. Huh, he hasn't called me that since third grade. "Remember honey, we're all going to the movies tonight, so pass your Social Studies exam!"

"No work?" I asked. That's strange. Back when I did live with him, he usually wouldn't come back home until about 11:30 at night. Since when did he ever have time to do something like go to the movies after he gets off. And this dude works as much as a rabbit reproduces!

"What work?" He asked, unphased by the question unlike the Momster. "I'm an author, remember? You've read plenty of my books. My next one isn't due to the editor until December."

Author? Since when could he write? I'm not even sure where I got my creative genes from.

"Um, right," I replied as I rushed out. "Got it. Bye guys!"

Walking outside of the house, I barely even paid attention to what I was even looking at. I was pretty much just thinking one thing: _Okay, looks like I'm in some alternate universe or something and the me in this place is probably in my place _**(5)**_... Or this is some messed up retelling of that book __**Coraline**__... Nah, first one. Gotta be... Damn, I didn't realize how geeky I am._

"Hey Gwen. What's up?" Familiar voice, but I can't really pinpoint who it is...

Looking up from my thoughts, finally, I stared at this somewhat familiar guy. He wore a long, blue and black striped hoodie, complimented with long, flowing brown hair, jeans covered with a small taint of dirt, and pale skin. Not nearly as pale as mine, but still considered pale. Kind of cute... Who is this gorgeous Goth?

"Um, hi, uh..." God, I must sound like a total idiot to his eyes.

Instead of walking away like I would have expected, he let out a soft chuckle. "Wow, I'm out of town for one week and you forget who your best friend is? Alright then, my name is Cody. Got it?"

CODY?! (I think I just threw up a bit in my mouth.) Best friend? You've got to be kidding me!

"Yeah, so, while you're getting everything back into your head, I'm gonna go on the bus. Got it?"

Hm, the bus? Didn't even notice it pulled up. I guess shock does that to you sometimes... Since everything's been going so smoothly right now, I wouldn't be shocked if the bus is a fancy limo... sine. My thoughts were interrupted again as I stared at the enormously long limo that just pulled into the curve. It wasn't like those plain and simple ones like you see celebrities and such drive in, it was covered in shimmering sparkles and painted cobwebs...

Genius.

"Uh, you coming?" Cody asked as he began to get into the eccentric ride.

"Yeah," I sighed as I had a brightened smile on my face. One that had not made it on for several weeks. Who cares if this isn't my world? For all I care, if there is another me that lives here, she's just gonna have to deal with the torture back home. I'm never leaving! This is paradise!

As I ducked in, in order to enter the car I've always dreamed of being driven in, I smiled at the darkness of the limo. I'm definitely gonna fit in perfectly here...

But sometimes, like plenty of people say, if it's too good to be true, it probably is...

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So this is school? Barely even changed... Well, I never really had a grudge towards education before, so I'm not complaining. It wouldn't kill my teachers to make the quizzes easier though...

After Cody ran off to his locker, I began exploring the, technically, new school, trying to find any differences, if any...

... None... Maybe I was just hallucinating or something this morning.

"Hey Gwen!" A familiar voice cried in a happy tone. As soon as the voice entered my ears, I could only think of anger at who it was. Trent. Okay, so maybe this really is an alternate universe. It's okay, you can still talk to him.

"Yeah?" I questioned, hiding my face from him in worries that he'll see my scournful scowl.

"Are we still up for that date this Saturday?"

What? "S-sure," I grinned with actual pleasure in my face as I actually turned to face him. I am so loving this place right now!

"Cool," he said, grinning with that perfect mouth of his. "See you after school," he said sweetly as he made his way.

... Yeah... So loving this place right now...

"U-u-um, miss Gwendolyn," yet another familiar voice mumbled. Sounds like Heather. What does she want... Oh god, is that pimply girl her? "You were supposed to have cleaning duty this week for science class. I swapped it for you just like you asked," she continued with a weak smile.

"Um, remind me again," I said, still uncertain if that b*tch of a girl, Heather, really is this pitiful servant. "Is your name Heather Cheng?"

"Uh, actually, you said that Ugly Dorkwad was much more fitting for me, so I changed it, but yes, that was my name. Not surprised that you would forget again," she answered, still with an uncertain grin.

My own personal servant at school and home... Nice. I kind of feel bad for her, but, hey, it's Heather. I'll work her down for a week and then set her free... Maybe a month. Depends on how long I decide to stay here.

RING!!!!

Ugh, that stupid alarm still hasn't changed, has it? Whatever. Better take that test that Dad #2 said I had today.

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... When Dad #2 said that this was a test, I thought he meant it. What kind of ludicrous questions are these?!

QUESTION #1- What country is directed right below our country on Canada?

QUESTION #2- What country do we live in?

QUESTION #3- Where is Tokyo Disneyland located in?

QUESTION #4- After the American Revolution in which Loyalists were sent to reside in Canada, what was the population of Canada made up of?

QUESTION #5- Fill in the blank: TEXAS CH-INSAW MASSA-RE

You have got to be kidding me... Then again, I'm glad they're not.

As the final bell of the day rang, I met with a huge surprise, the bell was replaced by a song sung by My Chemical Romance. Nice.

As I left the room and met up with Cody and Trent, I didn't even notice the tension that seemed to linger between the two. All I could think of at the moment was, _God, this place rocks! I'm never going back!_ I mean, isn't this place just perfect? What could go wrong?

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Off in the distance, a dark figure stared down at its new victim, a girl named Gwen. She was smiling as she walked away from school with her friends of the mirror, Trent and Cody. The creature smirked as it stared down at the two boys.

Minion #253, with the role of Trent, was always used whenever it needed its female victims to be seduced. Never failed to play its roles.

As for Minion #13, with the role of Cody, he was quite a troublesome one. Quite unlike the others, #13 had gained independence and had defied his ruler before. He was too be watched. Was it wise to entrust him with this role?

"Damn it," the figure muttered. "If #13 pulls another stupid stunt again, I won't even hesitate to behead him."

Unfortunately, Gwen had no clue what she was dealing with... But "Trent" and "Cody" did...

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**(4) Hot Topic- Hot Topic is a store often stereotypically known as a Gothic store. Most people mistake it as so due to its customers and some of its merchandise.**

**(5) Alternate Universe- The original concept of this story was that Gwen got mixed up with an alternate self, resulting in the two to switch worlds. If anyone is interested in adapting this scrap idea into a spin-off fic, I don't mind.**

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**Oh boy, looks like Gwen has found her heaven... But it's actually hell! We'll see what happens...**


	3. Trouble in the Mirror

**Alrighty, after taking one of the longest possible hiatus' in the history of this site (I'm exaggerating, of course) I've come back from the dead... Once again. Look, it's officially summer and I'm off, so I'll try and attempt to update more than once a month... Then again, I don't have a life. I'll probably update often.**

**Alrighty then, the first part of this chapter introduces the first point of view of someone other than Gwen. It'll probably be obvious who it is once you start reading. Here we go...**

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I sighed as I stared to the wall of my so-called "room". As punishment for a past "incident", this has been my confinement ever since. A dark, black room with absolutely nothing in the room except for a lone loud speaker for announcements, and the sorry excuse for a bed (couple planks of wood piled up together to be exact).

... Yeah, life sucks, but you get used to it after about 25 human years.

Breaking my train of thought, the loud speaker began to cackle a bit, followed immediately with a booming voice that was enough to cause the hearts and well-being of anyone else around here to sink like a boulder in water... Not me.

"-BZZT- MINION NUMBER 13, REPORT TO MY QUARTERS RIGHT THIS INSTANT, OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES! -BZZT-" The announcement came to complete and definite end as soon as half a minute's worth of the often dreaded ringing aftermath came to a halt.

God, I hate that ringing. Can't "the-great-and-mighty-idiot-of-a-ruler" get that one simple thing fixed?! Makes you wonder how smart this idiot really is...

Wonder what I did this time... He's been keeping a watch on me ever since the "incident"... Well, guess I've no choice but to go. Not like there's anything else to do.

I stepped out of my room with a nonchalant expression and stepped into the bright hallways of our headquarters. If you stay in a dark room like mine for quite some time and just suddenly step out into the light like this, you're bound to feel like a person with vampiric eyes. I'm guessing this is part of the punishment, 'cause my eyesight is starting to get more blurry each day.

"Thir-chan!"

_Umph! _Um, I guess 166 is here. "Hey Chi," I grumbled. Don't ask about her nickname. She just went up to me and told me to call her Chi about 80 human years ago. "Can you please get off of my back?"

"Oh, right, sorry," she giggled as she jumped off to the floor.

"So," she began again. "What do you think of my form for this sacrifice?"

So I turned around and, um... I think I went a little bit more blind.

"Wait, _you're _the one playing as that Heather girl?"

"Yup, don't I look hideous?!" She shouted with a gleeful smile.

"... Uh, I don't really see the logic in being happy over that, but yeah."

"Great! Sure beats just being in our boring woreing regular forms."

Ah yes, our regular forms. When we're not in disguise to help lure another sacrifice into their deaths, we're blobs of darkness... With yellow eyes on them... Great. According to our "mighty ruler", he should be the only one that bares a form that can help anyone tell him apart from us... Fat head...

"So I heard that whole announcement," Chi said with barely a trace of any concern on her face. "Sounds like he's really ticked off now. You do anything as bad as the incident?"

"Enough about the incident already! Don't you think I get reminded enough of that from the others?!"

"Oh, right, sorry."

I'm not completely sure why, but Chi decided to go tag along anyway. Along the way, there was, of course, the usual glares of fellow slaves, still angry over the little incident I performed during the last sacrifice.

"Hey, Thir, Chi, what's up?"

Oh great, TFT's here. Mind as well bare it...

"Hey there," I replied, attempting to sound friendly as #253 (we call him TFT, or just T, for short) arrived. Really, I've had enough of this guy bragging over the fact that he always plays the girl's love interest while I just get best guy friend. I swear, this guy's ego is going to grow so big one day, his head is going to be as fat as a boulder.

"Hey T," Chi replied casually, unaware of the fact that I didn't even want this idiot here right now.

"So, I heard you got called down. What'd you do now?"

"First of all," I began in a grumbling and annoyed tone. "Everyone heard that I was called down. Second of all, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!"

"Alright already. Chill. That's no way to talk back to your best friend."

Yes, it's true. This idiot over here is my best friend. When each of the minions were created, some of them started to form individual groups. You know, kind of like high school cliques. No one was really welcoming me into their group until TFT invited me into his small group consisting of him, 196 (or On-On for short), and Chi. Bit of a pathetic story. I don't want to talk about it...

"Um, so this Gwen girl's love interest has a huge head?" Chi asked as she began to examine TFT's disguise a bit.

"Apparently. Look, I don't choose what to look like, alright?"

"Alright guys, I'm gonna have to go inside alone now."

"Alright then. See you later Thir!"

"Don't get your head chopped off!"

"SHUT UP T!!"

* * *

Overall, it was a pretty good day. School barely even teaches, neighbor's not a pervert (well, I'm not completely sure _yet_), and I'm actually with my boyfriend... Nice world we got here...

Too bad this world isn't going to do a thing to cure the insomnia I've been having a lot lately. I've always been a night walker. It's just kind of a part of me. Sometimes, my friends joke around and call me a vampire or something like that. Sounds offending, but it's actually pretty funny to both sides.

I closed my eyes one last time in yet another attempt to at least _try_ to get some sleep. What is it, 3 o'clock?

Unfortunately, the whole forcing eyes to shut technique doesn't always work...especially when a huge glint of light is forcing you to open them.

"What the heck," I moaned as I slowly lifted myself off of the bed. "Who dares to have lights on this late?"

Well, instead of being greeted by a lit up room, I was instead greeted by a humanoid figure. I surely wasn't expected to see this, so you might say that I kind of screamed... I know you're laughing, so shut it before I do it myself. This figure was in a completely yellow glow. She had wings in resemblance to a butterfly, short, chocolate brown hair, a flowing yellow dress, and a skin tone as tan as chocolate milk (stupid simile. Bite me).

"Wh-who are you," I trembled in the presence of a complete stranger. Who wouldn't be scared. So, stop laughing already! "Actually, _what _are you?"

"I am spirit of a former sacrifice here to warn you about the dangers ahead. My name is of no importance."

"Oh, don't be like that Courtney. I think your name is important!" A new and more bubbly voice chimed in.

"CAN IT LINDSAY!!"

I motioned my head around to where another huge portion of light was being directed from. The pillow I was clutching on to (shut up) was now lowered a bit, since the second being sounds kind of, well, dumb.

"Hi! I'm Lindsay," she greeted happily as she waved her hand. I can't see it, but I'm positive that Courtney is probably performing a face palm right now.

She, like Courtney, was also clad in a yellow glow, butterfly wings, and a flowing yellow dress. Unlike the previous, she had long, blond hair that was topped off with a sky blue bandana. She also had sky blue eyes that were as large as it would look like on an anime character. Hee, I pity Courtney. Lindsay seems like an airhead of a nusiance.

"Um," I began, a bit more optimistic to speaking to the duo now that the airhead arrived. "So what are you guys here for?"

"I told you," Courtney groaned. "We're here to warn you of the dangers ahead."

"Uh, right. So I should be hearing this from a living butterfly?"

"We're supposed to be angels dammit! Can't you tell?!"

"Whatever..."

"Look, we're just here to warn you-"

"I get it, I get it. You're here to warn me about dangers to come. Look, I'm just going to assume that this is just some strange dream, alright?" I said, obviously going in denial.

"Oh! I get it," Lindsay began. "So this is just a dream? Alrighty, I'm just going to make a pony appear, okay?"

"LINDSAY, THIS IS NOT A DREAM, SO SHUT UP!!"

"Alright, you didn't have to yell."

"Well, seeing as how Ms. Gothy-Pants here isn't believing a thing," Courtney began again, now with an irritated expression on her face. "I guess we should just leave now then."

"Aw, but I wanted to know where she got that shade of nail polish!"

"CAN IT LINDSAY!!"

As fast as the two had appeared out of nowhere, a flash struck through right before my eyes... The next thing I know, my head was nestled right down on my soft, silky pillow. My eyes were wide open, as if I was like, _What the heck just happened?_...

... And that's when I figured that whatever happened last night was probably just a dream. Might as well get ready for school.

* * *

"Alright Lindsay, I want you to go follow that Gwen girl to school as a cat and-"

"Wait, I can turn into a cat?"

"Yeah. That's what I did when I tried to convince that thick head of yours to go away. So-"

"Wait, that was _you_?!"

"Yes, for the hundredth time, that talking cat was me! Now I want you to turn into a cat and try to convince her to leave this place before it's too late. Got it?"

"Got it!"

"You sure?"

"Yeah, turn into a cat and be her personal pet!"

"... I'm reasoning with an idiot..."

* * *

**Alright, call me lazy, but I didn't feel like rereading this for typos. If there are any notable grammar mistakes, tell me and I'll fix it immediately (nope. Too lazy to do that too).**


	4. Revelations in the Mirror

**HA! I've taken yet another hell long hiatus! Beat that loyal fans! *shot* I kid, I kid. I do apologize for the hiatus, but as many of you already know, I'm so lazy, I have month long hiatuses every time I put up a new chapter. I haven't gotten any update complaints in a while, but just saying this just in case.**

* * *

"Morning Gwen."

"Morning Cody."

"... I'm not sure if it's a good time to say this, but there's a dog all the way there that seems to have taken an interest in you."

"Um, what?" I stammered as I turned my head around.

Well, he was right. There behind me was a golden retriever happily running towards us...and it's huge and slobbering... Have I mentioned that I despise dogs to a great extent?

"Um, how about we go and walk to school?" I began nervously.

"Why? The bus is gonna be here in just a bit... Wait, you're afraid of dogs?" Oh god, I think I see him smiling under that hood. That same stupid grin...

"N-no I'm not! Uh, can we just go...NOW?" Great job trying to sound calm genius. Certainly didn't help by the fact that I pretty much ran away in terror. The only thing that seemed to be missing from this scene were the screams.

* * *

... Seriously? That girl's scared of dogs? Well, rottweilers I get, but a golden retriever? Seriously?... Well, I guess we all have embarrassing tidbits...

To be exact, I don't remember anyone even taking role of a dog.

... And those eyes sure are big... Oh, duh.

"Lindsay, what ever you were doing, you failed."

"Uh, what are you talking about?" The "dog" answered in a high pitched voice. "I'm just a dog that wants to go talk to that Goth girl over there."

"Last time I checked, animals don't talk."

"... Oh, right... Bummer... So how have you been doing lately?"

Heh, there's something about her idiocy that makes you kind of look ahead of that sometimes. "You know, the usual. Obeying the idiot's orders, coming up with a full-proof plan... Last night, the idiot called me down to see if I was playing dumb and actually having a plan."

"Wait, so you and On-On aren't planning to save her?"

"What? No! I said I was playing dumb!"

"Oh, whoops, right... Oh, how's On-On doing?"

"Oh, well...On-On's...in a body that's gonna take some getting used to..."

"...Hey, what's with the long face Thir?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing... Just feel a bit guilty that I didn't bother to save you way back when."

"Oh, don't worry about," she grinned happily. "I've got Courtney to talk to, and I get to see you and On-On sometimes, and one of your minion friends looks a lot like my old friend Beth, and-"

This feels endless... "Uh, right. Gwen's probably going to be wondering why I'm not following, so I gotta go now."

"Alrighty! See you!" She cried happily before being patted on the head.

"CODY! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"

Well, that's my cue...

* * *

"Lindsay, you idiot! I told you to turn into a cat! A CAT!"

"Cats, dogs, what's the difference? Can't everyone just like them both?"

"Ugh, you're not getting the point here. Some people are afraid of dogs! Cats barely do anything other than stare at you."

"Uh, I think I get it."

"Well, since you screwed things up, I guess it's my turn..."

* * *

Alright, that dog can't possibly still be there. Trent and Cody's staying after today, so I gotta be brave about this... Is it still there? What if it has rabies? What if it brought some of its friends over? What if it's a neighbor's dog? WHAT IF IT'S STILL THERE?... What am I doing? I'm not even anywhere close to my block yet. Well, I guess my friends were right when they said that I have a problem with paranoia.

"Mew."

Aw, look, a kitty. Normally, a peppy high school girl would run away at the sight of a black cat, but it's just a cat. I mean, what's the worse it can do? Scratch your leg? Who came up with these superstitions anyway?... Okay, back to the story.

"You're pretty cute," I said as I began to stroke its velvet-like fur. "I wonder if Mom 2'll let me keep a pet."

"Please, I am not a cat that is to be kept as a house pet. I'm here to warn you-"

Holy crap, this thing talks?

And so, I made a mad dash for it slowly after. Shut up, I know you would have done the same if a talking animal just suddenly started to make snarky remarks at you. Really, I thought getting to my house would mean freedom. That dog did go away by this time, but...I have no idea how that cat could still keep up with me.

"Open the door, open the door," I mumbled while simutaniously banging on to the the mahogany door. Have I mentioned that Parents 2 still haven't given me a key to the house yet? Oh joy.

CREAK!

"Hey Gwen. What's with the spooked fa-"

"No time for questions Damien!" I shouted as I ran into the house and slammed the door shut. "Now tell me where's Mom and Dad!"

"Out right now. Why? Do you need them?"

"Well, sort of. I need somebody to help me get back to sanity after running away from a talking cat."

"A talking cat?" He asked suspiciously as he peered the door open. DON'T OPEN IT DAMMIT! Why do you think I shut it after I ran in here?

"... Oh, don't worry. That's just Courtney."

Courtney? Who names a cat Courtney? Come to think of it, that name does sound familiar...so did the cat's voice... I really am crazy.

"Didn't think _you_ of all people would take this long to go and warn the poor girl," he snickered. Who is that freak talking to? "I'd get it if it was Lindsay though." Lindsay?

"Oh can it! Who are you anyway? Thir?" It's speaking again! And he's talking to it? Er, good to know that I'm not the only nut here.

"Naw. Thir's the Goth with the blue and black striped hoodie. I'm On-On." On-On?

"Um, On-On?" The cat named Courtney began awkwardly. "Um...wow. Just, wow."

"Don't remind me," Damien groaned. "Come on inside. I need to get to that minion meeting, or the big guy's gonna get suspicious. Go explain everything thoroughly to her, got it?"

"Sure thing."

Followed suite was Damien's exit and Courtney's entrance... When did everything suddenly go nutty?

"... Um...hi?" I greeted awkwardly to break the newly entered tension.

"Greetings. Thank god I finally get to talk to you. My feet are starting to ache like crazy. Somehow, I'm glad I can no longer walk in my regular form..."

"Er, what are you-"

"Don't worry. I'm not a talking animal straight off of the PowerPuff Girls **(6) **y'know."

"Uh, care to elaborate on that?"

"Fine." Did that thing just roll its eyes on me? "Guess I should just go to the form you saw last night." In the blink of an eye, a bright flash swept through the room. As my eyes finally began to regain full vision, there in front of me stood, er, floated the "angel" girl that I met last night... Jeez, and I thought that I was just dreaming... Why am I not freaking out? "Remember me now?"

"Uh, yeah, now I remember."

"Good. Now let me explain things."

"Explain what?"

"Ugh, are you really this dense? Don't you notice anything strange going on here? Don't you think that things go a little too smoothly here?"

"Well...I guess you could say that I've kind of been too caught on to the moment to notice."

"... You didn't notice at all?"

"Not really."

"... And you didn't notice that nobody was in the streets? That you so-called "friends" had to "stay after", that your "parents" aren't here, and that your "brother" had to leave to go to a **MINION MEETING!**"

"Okay, I admit that there were a couple of obvious hints that I may have neglected."

"Alright, moving on. Took too long just to go through that," Courtney groaned while shaking her head in annoyance. "You are this generation's current sacrifice."

... What?

"Every generation or so, someone is bound to get themselves trapped and tempted into the mirror. All but one of them have never made it out alive.

"The people that you're seeing here right now aren't who they're pretending to be. They're all monsters. Every one of them are minions to the spirit of the mirror, a dark and mysterious being who feeds on those with great greed, those who take their curiosity too far and end up in this hellhole.

"You can leave whenever you want, but the process here is much different compared to how you got in, but just in case you do happen to find out, the spirit and his minions are all trying to make you stay. They're posing as people from your world, but represented in the forms that you wish for them to be in. The greed inside your heart will definitely force yourself to stay in this world much much longer thanks to these temptations."

"... So you're saying that everyone here are all poseurs here to milk me up for their boss' dinner plate," I replied with shock. Was all of this true? I've been lied to ever since I came here? "Wait, but why was their a dog here? I hate dogs! And how are they able to know what I want?"

"Mirrors tend to reflect images back to yourself, but this mirror can do much more then image. The first time you encountered the mirror, the greed and longings inside your heart were reflected right back to you, causing temptations to return to the mirror. At the same time, the mirror was able to identify your thoughts, feelings, and greed, leaving the mirror's spirit to know all he needs to know in order to lure you in," Courtney replied, a bit slowly this time as if she thinks I couldn't comprehend words past two syllables. "As for the dog, that was Lindsay. You know, from last night? She was supposed to turn into a cat..."

Oh, right, Lindsay... That figures...

"Any more questions?"

"Two actually," I replied uneasily. "What are you exactly and how do I get out?"

"Lindsay and I are two of the mirror's fallen souls. The two of us have countlessly been warning new victims to get out. And as for _how_ to get out," her pinched, serious poker face lightened up into a grin. "You can just leave that to us."

* * *

"... Hey Thir," Chi whispered happily.

"What is it? I'm trying to pay attention to the meeting."

"You? Pay attention?"

"... Good point. What did you wanna say?"

"What was with the whole call down last night?"

"Really? Do you need to know?"

"Oh come on, you can trust me!"

"It's nothing out of the usual Suspicion Drills, okay?"

"Excuse me, but do the two of you have anything to say to us all?"

"U-uh, no ma'am!" the duo hastily replied.

It was going to be a _long_ meeting...

* * *

**(6) Powerpuff Girls- To those of you who remember PowerPuff Girls, you may be able to identify Courtney's reference to the Talking Dog.**


	5. Escaping the Mirror

**Well, it's time for my annual update! (I kid, I kid)**

My hands clutched on tightly to a book as I stood right on the Salesta's front porch. Yeah, this probably would've looked normal if it weren't for the fact that that was basically all I did for the past half an hour.

My head was full of anxiety over my brief encounter with Gwen yesterday. I mean, I came over early this morning to apologize, but…

_She was really ticked yesterday. Well…I really should've helped her up, I mean, her face was right in mud and I just stood there smiling like an idiot? What is _wrong_ with me?…_

_CREAK!_

_Eep!_

"Oh, morning Cody!" Ms. Salesta greeted me casually like always.

"Um, g-good morning, uh, Ms…" Oh come on, can you blame me for panicking? She's just as hot as her daughter!

"Come right in," she continued warmly as she gestured me to enter despite my stammers. "I'll heat something up for you to eat if you want."

"Uh, there's no need," I answered quickly, dashing right into the kitchen.

As usual, Damien was sitting at the table with a bored expression and performing a half-hearted job at homework he should've done last night while munching on his frozen pizza breakfast. Ms. Salesta apparently doesn't bother cooking things like pancakes, waffles, and bacon anymore.

"Hey, Damien…"

Swatted me away with his hand.

"Dude…"

He just flat out ignored me this time while he began to scribble gibberish on to his history homework. (Since when did Canada _ever_own New Zealand?)

I rolled my eyes and sighed deeply. He's impossible to talk to when he's trolling his homework. Only one thing left to do…

_SLAM!_

His arms jolted up right as the book made impact to the table. The pizza he was holding nearly fell off of his hand, and as he quickly caught it, squeezing it in the process, pizza sauce landed on to his homework, splattering nearly half of his work. Satisfied that his breakfast was saved, he happily continued to chomp into the pizza while finally facing me with a lax face.

"Oh, hey Codemeister," he replied coolly "What's up?" He glanced over at the item used to steal away his attention. "Oh, how's Gwen's diary serving ya? Juicy as I told you?"

I sighed. "Damien, this is wrong. Just take the book and give it back to Gwen."

"Why?" he bit into his pizza, finally having half of it ingested. "Didn't you ask me to steal it for you to begin with?"

Guilty as charged. "Well, yeah, but…look, the things in here are really personal. I shouldn't have asked for it in the first place."

"She's got emo poetry written in there, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, those poems were so annoying and mopey… That's not the point!"

"Fine, I'll give it back to her," Damien grumbled as he snatched back the book, licking the pizza sauce off of his other hand's fingers at the same instance. He then proceeded to glance over at his homework and finally realizing the pizza sauce covering it, but quickly shrugged it off and stuffing the ruined paper into his backpack, deeming it as finished.

"Is Gwen out yet?" I asked nervously.

"Nah, Gwen's never a morning person," Damien began again as he casually searched around the kitchen for something else remotely good to stuff in his mouth. "Probably still in her room. What, you want to see her while she's dressing?"

"N-no!" I choked. "I-I just need to talk to her."

"Well good luck not looking like a total perv," he replied as he grabbed out the orange juice carton, opening it up and drinking straight from the container. "Her room's upstairs."

I proceeded upstairs.

"And I've posted most of her diary on MySpace if you reconsider."

…

* * *

"Uh, Courtney, you sure this is the right place?"

"Of course I am. I used to live in this neighborhood too you know."

"No, I mean, are you sure this is where we're supposed to meet them?"

"Are you questioning my judgment?"

Arguing with a cat. Don't see this everyday.

"Look," she sighed, rolling her eyes once again. Obviously, she seems to be regretting trying to save my skin. "I'm the cat here. Guess who can see in the dark and who can't. Me and you in that order. I know what I'm doing here, I've done it before, so you better shut your trap."

Geez, what's _her _problem?

"Well, won't anyone be suspicious that their precious victim is walking around in the night, being crazy, and talking to a cat?"

"Oh please, none of the minions are ever out of their hangout during the night. They're busy gambling and getting drunk deep underground as we speak. Trust me, we're safe."

We walked past the streets of the place I had regrettably called my home for the past few days as the artificial moon shined brightly in the fake sky above us. Unlike home, the stars were clearly visible and I could even point all of the notable constellations that were up at the time. I hate to admit, but despite the fact that this whole world is complete and total lie, it…really is beautiful. I mean, I honestly don't think I'd honestly want to leave…

Too bad I'll be eaten alive by some evil mirror spirit if I dare stay. Such a shame. They did such a great job at imitating my preferences.

We finally stopped.

"Alright, there's a door at the end of the alley. Just knock on it twice and On-On should let you in. Think you can handle on your own?"

Alright, she's _really _starting to get on my nerves now.

"Wait, _walking to a door_? _Knocking it twice_? Why are you putting such pressure on my _slow tracked _mind? You _must _stay here to assist me and my _small witted intelligence_!"

"Nice sarcasm," Courtney laughed lightly. "Don't appreciate it." Light laughter stops.

She began to linger away. "I need to make sure Lindsay isn't getting herself into any trouble. _Hopefully_ I won't be seeing you again after this." She left stage right.

My god, that is the most annoying and irritating angel cat thing ever. "Hopefully I won't be seeing you again after this," I mocked, my voice high and squeaky and my face resembling that of all the annoying little peppy happy cheerleaders in my school. "Ugh!" I scowled as I began to enter the dark alley.

It was a bit longer than expected when I finally reached the rusty door. The alley was probably designed this way assuming that anyone bothering to go through had short intention spans or something. After knocked the door, The door's panel slid immediately, making a startling slam when it reached its end. The eyes of my fake brother stared over at me, cold and unfeeling. Strange.

"Password?"

What? She never told me anything about a password!

"Um, uh-"

Fake bro started to chuckle, his stern and serious expression fading instantly. "Nah, I know who you are. Just messing with ya."

Jerk.

He closed the panel, giving off another startling slam, and opened up the door, the musty doorknob giving off loud squeak. You'd expect someone to bother oiling that thing. "Come right in."

As soon as I walked in, I gaped at the familiar room. No windows? Perfectly polished wooden floor? A night sky wallpaper? A _mirror_?

"This…this is _my _room!" I exclaimed. "Er, I mean my other room. Well, it's not really my room at all if it's my other room, but-"

"You don't have to be exact. It ruins the effect," My fake brother interrupted.

"B-but… What?"

"Thir will explain when he gets here," he replied. "I'm On-On by the way."

"Um, nice to meet you?"

_KNOCK! KNOCK!_

"That must be him." On-On proceeded to walk towards the mirror.

"Um, isn't the door _that_ way?"

"Hey," he pushed the mirror to the side to reveal another entrance on the ground. "If Thir went up to the surface in the middle of night like a regular person, Bossy would drag him down and kill him." He lifted up the door for Thir to enter- Wait, isn't that?…

"Cody? !"

"Hey Gwen! Call me Thir, alright?"

Wh-what? "Y-y-you're _Thir_?"

"Yeah, and?" You know, I still can't seem to stand the fact that the Cody of this world actually looks kind of hot. "Oh, right, my alias. I'm guessing this "Cody" guy is a loser back in your verse?"

"Well, you can say that."

"How you doing On-On?" Thir asked as On-On began to carefully shut the entrance, making sure that no noise came from it.

"Good, good," he answered as he stood back up to face his friend. "Bossy called you to stay back a bit longer after the meeting. What happened?"

"Just another inspection," Thir groaned. Does no one notice my freaked out expression here? "How's (giggle) your new body treating you?"

"Oh, don't even get me started," On-On groaned. "Why did _I _get singled out for this position anyway? I would've taken being an animal over this! I mean, my pits sweat more than usual, I can't get used to this voice, and do you know how freaky it is to go to the bathroom now? !"

…What?

Oh god, don't tell me.

"**YOU'RE A GIRL ? !**"

"Yeah, I know," On-On grumbled. "Years of being fit into the tomboy role and I finally get cast as a boy myself. Look, can we just move on and explain how to escape! ?"

No need to yell…

"Alright," Thir began. "You've probably noticed that this room is similar to the room you came from back at home." Well no freaking duh. "Well the thing is, the way we're able to alter the appearances of the town so frequently is because this world actually acts similar to a computer program.

"The mirror's actually cracked a bit from a shipping incident. The glass resulted in a "glitch in the program" and because of the crack, that one area was unable to reflect properly, so while the rest of the mirror reflected back what they saw, the crack just absorbed and didn't reflect, resulting in this one room being here.

"Everyone else basically just shoved the mistake aside and about everyone's forgotten that it even existed, even the Idiot-of-a-Ruler himself."

Wow, that was wordy. "And how is this supposed to help me escape?"

"The mirror absorbs more than just appearances. If the room's exact to how it was absorbed, then it behaves the same way to. The only thing wrong is that the mirror you see here isn't the "magic" mirror. They kind of made sure of that lest anyone actually discovers this room. The mirror in _your _room though is the real deal. All we have to do is move the mirror over here so it can work."

"What, it can't work unless it's here?"

"Don't ask questions. I've learned to just go with it," On-On replied.

"If that's all there is, why are we just waiting here?" I proceeded to exit the building, opening the door and gesturing my companions to follow. "Come on, coming or not?"

* * *

_knock, knock._

"Um, Gwen," I squeaked weakly. "You in there?"

Nothing.

What am I even doing?

Sighing, I decided to head back down. The bus is bound to come soon. I shouldn't be wasting my time trying to apologize to someone who obviously doesn't want anything to do with me.

But…that one room over there… Why am I getting a weird vibe over it?

…

Well, a small peek won't hurt.

* * *

"So that's how the real Trent is back home?"

"Yeah, basically."

"What a jerkass,"

"More like a dumbass." I think this is the first time I've laughed since the breakup.

"Trust me, the "Trent" over here is no better. Actually, I think that big head really fits him."

"That bad, huh?" Second laugh since.

"Yeah, but you get used to it."

"… You know…I've been wondering."

"Yeah?"

"Why are you and On-On so against your leader to begin with?"

"…"

"…Is it something you don't want to talk about?"

"Huh? Oh, not at all. Well, On-On just never agreed with the whole sacrifice ordeal to begin with. She's one of the few of us to that was actually born with morals I guess." Third laugh.

"What about you?"

He sighed deeply. "Well…" Oh boy, I know where this is going. Maybe I shouldn't have asked? "I wasn't really against all this to begin with honestly… It's just… there was this one girl I met. She…she was just really sweet and actually made me not so…unfeeling in a way. I just felt really happy around her and I actually began to think I was in…"

"…"

"…"

"…Go on."

He shook it off.

"I actually started to feel guilty when we were getting further into the sacrificial stages. I felt like I should've done something. I _knew_I should've done something, but…"

"You didn't."

"Yeah," he reluctantly agreed. "And now her spirit's damned to wander in the mirror forever. She really didn't deserve it."

"So you're rescuing others to make it up for her?"

"Well, she forgave me as soon as she saw me again. She always brushes it off when I start to think about what I _should_ have done. It's not really necessary. I mean, with the treatment I got from the Ruling Idiot after just one rescue, I honestly think I should have gave up being a hero or something, but… I don't know… It just feels right."

"I see."

…

… You know, even though he's got Cody's face, he's really different from him. He seems really sweet, thoughtful, and melancholic. And not the fake kind you get from Trent too. Right when I met him, I knew there was something really different about him from all the other wonders that this world had to give me. As awesome as the rest of the world was, it still did feel a tad bit off, but Thir just felt real. And I kept on shoving him away just because he had the same face as Cody.

Call me crazy but…

I think I'm in love.

"Hey, would the couple making out over there mind speeding it up a bit? It's better to get this over with quickly," On-On shouted back at us.

We both blushed at the "couple making out comment", but he, um, she was right. We were pretty far back compared to him, uh, her.

"Shut up, no one comes up here at night!" Thir retorted angrily and playfully at On-On, who just laughed. We quickly sprinted up to where On-On was, only for us to drag behind again, but we didn't talk this time, adding a large hinge of awkwardness.

"… Oh, one more question," I began, wanting to break the silence.

"Yeah?"

"I'm just really curious, but do you happen to remember a past victim named Courtney?"

"How could I forget?" He groaned. "At first she was pretty nice and normal with the only thing annoying about her being the whole "past CIT" thing, but after a few in-mirror months, the fantasy really went to her head and everyone just wanted to throw her out of the mirror by then. Man, she really got on my nerves. Sorry, but I'm not sure if it's a bad thing that she got sacrificed."

Fourth laugh.

* * *

"Hello?" I quietly shouted off once again as I opened up the door. "Is anyone in here?"

As the door flew open, I was greeted into a very quaint room. The night sky wallpaper was pretty cool and the practically polished flooring really made me curious of why it differed from the rest of the house, but other than that, there was really much about the room to look at.

… Except that mirror back there.

It's just an old, boring mirror, but… I don't know why, but it feels a bit off. Maybe I'm just crazy?

I walked closer to the mirror. It looked pretty normal and all, but as I came closer, that strange vibe started to grow. There's just something strange about it, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Was it the crack at the corner? The slight finger smudges on the glass?

… I'm just getting such a weird vibe out of it. You know, like those hunches you get when you walk into a really old house that's telling you to go away as if it's being haunted?

There was something definitely wrong about this mirror.

* * *

"Okay, you hold on to that side, I'll hold on to this side."

"Maybe I can help?"

"No need. We can handle it."

"You sure?"

"We've done this before, alright? Just be a good girl and follow us back to the room, okay?"

"You're a girl too y'know."

"I'm in a guy's body. That makes all the difference."

"Whatever."

We're now back to my room. Thir and On-On are getting ready to bring the mirror back over to that glitches room. I want to help, but apparently, they can handle on my own. Why did I even come in the first place? Well, I guess this gives me time to think about overly cliché romance stuff in my head so you readers will start to feel a bit more sympathetic over me.

I really can't shake off these feelings I've just got for Thir, and you know what? It sucks. It really does. I see that I have growing feelings for him right during my rescue? Really? In about less than an hour, I'm going to be home free, trying to forget this even happened, probably going to therapy, and I'll have to push away the fact I even met Thir. How could I just do that? Ugh, it's times like this that I begin to believe feelings and hormones are the work of the devil…

… Hold on, what's that?

"Uh, guys?"

"Yeah?" On-On groaned, probably a bit peeved that I interrupted her right when she began to lift her half of the mirror.

"The mirror…there's something weird going on in the glass."

"Seriously?" Thir asked, walking over to see for himself.

"Oh come on, it's probably nothing, Thir. Get back here. I can't lift the whole thing on my own."

"Um, she's right," Thir gulped.

"What?" On-On walked over. "Look, maybe it's the lack of light playing with your eyes. I'm telling you, whatever you two are seeing is noth-"

…

"Oh crap."

Right in front of us, a peachy smudge inside the glass began to take form and as soon as On-On came to watch, a hand came out.

* * *

Why am I still staring at this thing. It's just a weird hunch. I mean, I've been wrong before, right?

… But…

I carefully lifted my hand to the glass. Rather than having my fingers carefully glide around like I would have assumed…

"I-I'm being sucked in? !"

Beyond my protests, my hand fazed through the mirror glass and as if it were a hungry beast wanting to eat more, my whole body began to get dragged in.

**This can't be happening!**

_**THUD!**_

Ugh, my head. What the heck just happened?

"Cody? !"

Gwen?

I lifted my head up to see myself in another room. Gwen stood right in front of me looking both shocked and horrified. She wasn't the only one apparently. Is that Damien with her? And…

Is that supposed to be me ? !

* * *

"Where's Thir and On-On?" Chi groaned as she walked through the halls. "No offense T, but hanging around with just you is getting a bit boring."

"No offense taken," TFTreplied nonchalant. "Knowing On-On, she's probably in the restroom still staring at herself," he chuckled, knowing his friend's little dilemma. His smile and laughter quickly dissipated. "And knowing Thir…"

"He's not going to do it again," Chi grumbled protectively. "He said that he's got no plans to save her!"

"Whatever, I'm just saying."

"This just sucks though," Chi sighed, looking down towards the ground. "We barely get to hang out as friends anymore ever since that Lindsay girl got sacrificed. I mean, Thir really got attached to that girl and was all mopey and depressed after that episode. And then he went and rescued the next girl and the Boss gave him all those harsh punishments and stuff."

"Hey, I think he's starting to get better."

"I guess…"

The two continued to wander aimlessly through the halls of the underground hideout, both reminiscing the better days when these endless spare times were spent laughing it out as a group. Chi was right. It hadn't been the same ever since Thir got caught playing hero. Would they ever get those fun times again? Would they have to experience these quiet and melancholic walks forever?

…

It would've continued to stay silent if it weren't for the alarm going off.

"Oh no," Chi moaned in annoyance. "She must've escaped or something."

"You don't think it was _him _again, do you?" TFT contemplated, earning an angry look from Chi.

"He said he wouldn't do it again!"

TFT slowly shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm usually right."

And with that, he ran off, leaving Chi to stare at the ground all alone, wondering what had happened to those days.

* * *

**No foot notes for this chapter.**

**I appear to be obsessed with "..."s. And I'm well aware that my explanations make no sense.**

**I didn't really feel like rereading all this again, so if there are any notable mistakes, please tell me.**

**Please review!**


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